Mercerization apparatus



June 21, 1966 H. VORDERBRUGGE 3,256,580

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MERCERIZATION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. V0 rc/arbri/iyye, miakarcbq-gc'zr United States Patent 3,256,580 MERCERIZATION APPARATUS Hermann Vorderbriigge, Windelsbleiche uber Bielefeld,

Germany, assignor to Firma Hermann Windel, Windelsbleiche, near Bielefeld, Germany, a firm of Germany Filed Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,164 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 29, 1962,

4 Claims. (Cl. 26-1) The present invention relates to a mercerization apparatus. It is known that cotton textiles or mixed textiles of cotton/rayon staple or cotton/synthetics as Well as textiles containing regenerated cellulose shrink to a greater or lesser degree when being subjected to mercerization or lye treatment,-i.e. a treatment involving, for example, the use of sodium hydroxide of about 20 resp. 30 B., so that a decrease in length or width occurs. The material may, however, also show a contraction, caused by a preceding treatment with respect to its original dimensions and this contraction affects particularly the width of the material. In order to equalize these differences, i.e. in order to achieve in particular that the textile web upon emerging from the mercerization apparatus does have a width corresponding as precisely as possible to the dimensions finally required, it is the usual practice to pretension the textile preliminarily on a tentering frame, or there are used at the inlet of the mercerization course socalled width-stretching rollers like e.g. Mycock rollers, in order to increase the initial width thereof.

The present invention provides an apparatus which is substantially simpler in construction and can be better incorporated into the usual equipments. The new apparatus also provides better facility of inspection and better controllability. According to the invention there is mounted for a continuous operation onto the mercerization apparatus at the inlet side thereof a stretching roller or palmer in order to obtain an adjustable broadening of the textile web. The adjustment in width can be carried out by hand on the basis of the width which was measured at the beginning of the mercerization course. The same adjustment can be carried out at the outlet of the machine or within the lye treatment stretch by width controlling devices of known construction which are provided at these locations.

It is advantageous to mount this stretching roller between the mercerization machine and the dewatering device usually mounted in front of the mercerization machine, in order to additionally compensate the width contraction caused by the dewatering step.

Supplementary thereto it is advisable to maintain the stretching rollers at the inlet portion of the machine or arrange these at a different location of the device, in order to effect an additional broadening or to further a crease free introduction of the textile webs.

According to the invention the stretching roller cannot be mounted only in front of the inlet of the mercerization machine, but can be provided at other locations as well, for example, at the exit of the mercerization portion or the so-called stabilization portion.

Another feature of the invention resides in that the stretching roller is rendered particularly useful for Wet materials in that portions thereof, particularly the rim of the tensioning wheels contacting the goods, are made of a stainless material. A further improvement is that certain belts are made of materials suitable for Wet operation or of materials resisting chemical attack, or in that there is used an endless belt of stainless steel and, if so required, also the needles required for holding the goods are made of stainless steel.

An additional improvement of the invention consists of a drive wherein one reversible pulley rotates with a higher or lower speed, with respect to another pulley by provision of an infinitely variable variator or an adjustable V-belt, or, if so required, a similar separate drive, in order to equalize a so-called diagonal warping of the textile.

Since mercerization machines are operated with one as well as two tracks, i.e.with two adjacent textile webs, according to the present invention the stretching roller can also have the shape of a twin'machine with which two textile webs can be treated adjacent to each other, namely, a textile web on the right or left side or a single web may be treated in the center.

For this mode of operation it is recommended to render the distance between the stretching rollers at the exit end so spaced from each other that the outcoming textile webs are located at a distance within a range usually used in the mercerization machine.

'The invention is illustrated in exemplified form in the enclosed drawings.

In the drawings: 7

FIGURE 1 is a lateral view of a mercerization machine in which the stretching roller according to the invention is mounted in front of the inlet of the mercerization machine,

FIGURE 2 is a mercerization machine corresponding to the one shown in FIGURE 1 in which the stretching roller is mounted in front of the lye removing apparatus,

FIGURE 3 is a detailed view of a stretching roller for one and two track operation in lateral view,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a stretching roller according to FIGURE 3 from above.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a stretching roller 1 into which a web 2 of cotton is introduced. The path of this textile web 2 is shown over its complete length in broken lines. This textile web is further moved through the mercerization part 3 of the machine which is not shown in detail and through the stabilization part 4 of the apparatus and finally the lye removing device 5. The stabilization part is also illustrated diagrammatically.

In FIGURE 2 the textile web 2 first passes the diagraminatically illustrated mercerization part 3, and then through the stabilization part 4. This is followed by the stretching roller 1. From this stretching roller the textile web is passed into the lye removing device 5.

A particularly suitable construction of the stretching roller 1 for the guiding of the textile Web 2 is shown in FIGURE 4. The central wheels 6 are inclined relatively to each other. They can be shifted axially from a hand wheel which drives a spindle and through an endless chain drive actuates a second spindle. The spindles operate the central wheels 6 by any suitable means well known in the art and not shown in the drawings. In operation, the central wheels 6 co-operate with lateral wheels 7 and with pulleys 8, the relationship depending on whether the stretching roller is used for a one or two track operation.

In FIGURE 4 is shown by the vertical shading the use of the stretching roller for a single textile web 2a, the movement of which'is shown by the central arrow 9.

Instead of the textile web 2a a two-track operation is also possible on both halves of the stretching roller for the treatment of the textile webs 2b, 2c. The textile webs are shown by the inclined shading. In this case the stretching roller is also in the form of a twin machine.

As can be seen the distance between the pairs of stretching rollers is diminished in the direction of the outcoming Webs. The direction of the outcoming Webs is shown by roller can be easily and precisely observed from the exterior by the operator.

What I claim is:

1. A mercerization machine for cotton textiles, mixed textiles with a content of cotton, and regenerated cellulose containing textiles, including a stretching device mounted in the mercerization machine in the operational course of a pair of textile webs to be treated thereby, said de-' vice comprising a frame, a pair of laterally adjacent rollers mounted in said frame, each roller comprising a pair of adjustable stainless steel rims and tensioning belts associated therewith, whereby the dimensional alterations of the textile webs caused by the mercerization treatment may be equalized by grasping the marginal portions thereof between the rims and belts during treatment.

2. A mercerization machine according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning belts are of chemically resistant materials.

3. A mercerization machine according to claim 2, wherein the tensioning belts are endless, rotating steel belts.

4. A mercerization machine according to claim 3, wherein the belts are of stainless steel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1954 France.

1906 Great Britain. 1907 Great Britain. 3/1920 Great Britain.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. A MERCERIZATION MACHINE FOR COTTON TEXTILES, MIXED TEXTILES WITH A CONTENT OF COTTON, AND REGENERATED CELLULOSE CONTAINING TEXTILES, INCLUDING A STRETCHING DEVICE MOUNTED IN THE MERCERIZATION MACHINE IN THE OPERATIONAL COURSE OF A PAIR OF TEXTILE WEBS TO BE TREATED THEREBY, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, A PAIR OF LATERALLY ADJACENT ROLLERS MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME, EACH ROLLER COMPRISING A PAIR OF ADJUSTABLE STAINLESS STEEL RIMS AND TENSIONING BELTS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, WHEREBY THE DIMENSIONAL ALTERNATIONS OF THE TEXTILE WEBS CAUSED BY THE MERCERIZATION TREATMENT MAY BE EQUALIZED BY GRASPING THE MARGINAL PORTIONS THEREOF BETWEEN THE RIMS AND BELTS DURING TREATMENT. 